Kärcher steam cleaner – a steamer for the whole apartment

At the beginning of 2024, I found a new favourite household gadget in the form of the SpotClean steam cleaner vacuum. However, many users from the Community claimed there was a much better appliance. "P@ric", for example, wrote: «I have a Kärcher steam cleaner and I’m a huge fan of it. It effectively removes almost all soiling.»

Of course I’m curious – and that’s why I asked Kärcher to send me the SC 5 Deluxe steam cleaner for a test. So, how well will it clean my apartment?

Comparing apples to oranges

I’ll start with the basics – and it’ll quickly become clear why a direct comparison would be unfair. A steam cleaner isn’t a steam cleaner vacuum and vice versa. The two products are built for entirely different purposes even if they do overlap sometimes.

Steam cleaner: appliances such as the Kärcher SC 5 are intended as a replacement for cleaning large areas with a cloth and mop. I use it to clean damp floors, taps, washbasins, wall tiles, glass and mirrors. Window cleaning is possible too, even dirty joints sparkle again.

SpotClean steam cleaner vacuum: this appliance category is intended for more stubborn stains and dirt – i.e. more for small-scale cleaning. These appliances are also designed for textile surfaces such as carpets or upholstered furniture. By the way, not all SpotClean models use steam, many simply use liquid.

One area both appliance categories perform well in is for cleaning small surfaces. Like, when I want to clean joints or the white edges of my sneakers.

This is how the steam cleaner works

The principle is very simple. I fill the removable tank with water, connect the SC5 Deluxe to the power supply and switch it on. After heating up for around 30 seconds, it’s ready for cleaning. I can choose from four levels – three levels with steam at different temperatures of up to 150 degrees. The fourth level is for cleaning with both steam and water.

The VapoHydro function (the combination of steam and water cleaner) is a special feature of the top model and sets it apart from other steam cleaners. And there are quite a few of them. From Kärcher alone, you can currently find over 60steam cleaners in our store. They differ in terms of steam pressure, heat output and tank size. And also in the accessories supplied.

The brushes, attachments and nozzles are almost as important as the device itself; they transform it into a universal cleaner for the home.

When you try it out for the first time, there’s one obvious negative – the operating instructions are totally confusing and poorly designed. I can see all the accessories on the second page, but I have to turn to page 8 until I find the names of the brushes and nozzles. And then I have to turn to 10 and 11 to find out how I can use them and what I can use them for.

Shoes and balconies: steam has limits

I’m starting the test with two areas that I’ve also tried out with the SpotClean. My daughter has just spent a day in the woods, so her dirty hiking boots need to be cleaned. This works great with the small round brush.

I use the VapoHydro setting. The steam loosens the dirt and, thanks to the additional liquid, it’s also rinsed away immediately. This works really well, the shoe gets a little less wet than washing it under the tap. However, the SpotClean has an advantage over the SC5 Deluxe in these situations because the dirty water is sucked in immediately, which makes cleaning easier and more efficient.

This also applies to the heavily soiled balcony floor. Here I use the large round brush, although in between I still have to rinse away the loosened dirt with the hose. Again, a suction feature like the SpotClean model has, would also be better.

To be honest, dirty shoes and soiled balcony floors aren’t the steam cleaner’s core competencies. But it’s good to know that I could use it for them if I wanted to.

Floors and walls: hygienically clean

Hard floors and tiled walls, on the other hand, are key areas of application for the Kärcher SC5 Deluxe. I switch to the medium steam setting and can see the water heating up on the base station. The green LED strip tells me I can start.

I plug the two 50-centimetre-long extension pipes together and fix the floor nozzle in place. The click system is sturdy and easy to use. Then I stick the floor cloth onto the nozzle (Kärcher supplies two of these washable cloths). Thanks to the Velcro fastener, it’s quick and easy to attach.

I press the trigger on the handle and steam immediately comes out of the floor nozzle. This means I can quickly damp mop the floor tiles throughout my apartment and bathroom. Thanks to the steam, which is over 100 degrees Celcius, I at least have the feeling that cleaning the floor like this is even more hygienic than usual. If I wanted, I could also use a cleaning agent designed for steam cleaners.

For an entire apartment with a hard floor, two cloths aren’t enough. Unless I wash them by hand from time to time – it’s possible, but a bit awkward. It’s easier to replace the floor cloth with a fresh one each time.

I don’t need the long pipes for the tiled walls in the bathroom. I remove them and can store them directly in the base station. This is super practical because I don’t have to store all the accessories separately.

I snap on the hand nozzle – again a cloth is supplied for this – and I’m ready to clean my walls! I always have enough moisture on the ceramic plates from the steam, but never too much. And the heat helps to dissolve even light limescale deposits.

Can I also use it to clean windows, mirrors or glass walls? Well, yes and no. This works, but I sometimes have the same problem as with a normal cloth. To get it completely streak free is tricky. It’d probably be easier with the window nozzle and integrated squeegee. However, it has to be purchased separately.

Cleaning equipment accessories

EUR16,95

Kärcher Window nozzle

269

Cleaning equipment accessories

EUR16,95

Kärcher Window nozzle

269

Joints and edges: steamed with a lot of power

While I can easily clean hard floors and tiles by hand, grout and edges are tedious and difficult. And this is exactly where the SC 5 Deluxe shows off its superpowers. The accessories supplied include a special crevice brush and a power nozzle.

I can use it to clean everywhere that would otherwise be difficult to reach. Thanks to the high pressure, even hard-to-reach areas can be steamed out properly. They’re rinsed out hot, but not with a huge amount of water. This is useful in areas where I’d have to clean up the liquid afterwards.

But I also find myself struggling in some areas. When the limescale deposits are larger, for example, heat, pressure and steam alone won’t remove them. However, the Kärcher can help to clean away residue after you’ve treated them with anti-limescale agent, vinegar or similar.

Kärcher’s also not the right tool for heavily soiled balcony floors. I can get small areas clean with the nozzles and brushes, but I still have to rinse by hand. Larger areas are rather time-consuming. This is much easier with a normal high-pressure cleaner, which simply shoots water onto the panels.

I have to be careful with the small, awkward surfaces because the steam is up to 150 degrees hot and you could burn yourself. The smaller the area, the more likely I am to come into contact with a bit of steam. I didn’t have any problems when trialling it – but I was aware of the danger and was careful. Of course, Kärcher warns against the heat, but gloves aren’t recommended.

Speedy tank change and even more accessories

The 1.3-litre tank is supposed to be sufficient for 130 square metres of floor space. However, if you use other nozzles or the mode with more liquid, the supply will obviously run out more quickly. But that doesn’t matter, because you can leave the Kärcher switched on, take out the tank, fill it up with water and continue cleaning straight away. In other words, it takes no time at all.

This is another plus point because the steam cleaner can really be used universally. You can even freshen up carpets with the carpet glider supplied – all while removing germs and bacteria with the hot steam.

The SC 5 Deluxe can even be converted into a steam iron. For this, the manufacturer offers a matching accessory, the Iron EasyFinish, although it costs extra.

Clothes irons

EUR105,53

Kärcher Iron EasyFinish

1900 W

12

Clothes irons

EUR105,53

Kärcher Iron EasyFinish

1900 W

12

I received a new attachment from Kärcher for the test, namely the steam straightener, which you can choose to add to your collection. It’s simply attached to the front and is used to gently smooth textiles such as shirts, shirts and curtains. This requires less steam and, most of all, less liquid. However, since the SC 5 Deluxe actually supplies more water than it needs to, some of the steam condenses directly in the attachment. This means the water collects there and needs to be emptied from time to time.

Now I can use the fine steam to freshen up my shirt that I ironed weeks ago. Simply hang it directly on the hanger somewhere, pull it down a little with one hand and iron over it with the steam straightener. The small wrinkles disappear almost as if by magic.

Cleaning equipment accessories

EUR39,38

Kärcher Attachment for garment steamer

4

Cleaning equipment accessories

EUR39,38

Kärcher Attachment for garment steamer

4